REGIONAL CONFERENCE

Written by Committee Member Jude Allchurch, Workzone Traffic Control

The Women in Civil Committee is committed to bringing quality discussions to the regions throughout South Australia.

This commitment was never more evident with its first regional event held in Port Lincoln on Friday, 5 May. With superb organisation by WIC Committee member Jemma Bishop, the event was an encouraging display of how much the local community appreciated and supported the occasion.

Approximately 40 members of the local community, and members of the WIC who travelled from Adelaide, enjoyed the beautiful facilities at The Line & Label Restaurant at Peter Teakle Wines. From the minute we arrived, we were treated to some fabulous food and beverages. Jemma Bishop, with the assistance from the staff at The Line & Label, created a warm and friendly environment for the conference participants.

As Emcee, Jemma welcomed the participants and introduced our first guest speaker Justine Carey, who is a Mindset Coach located in the Port Lincoln region. Justine used the example of her own life changes and goals to remind us all that anything is possible if you take charge of your life. Her positivity certainly had a positive impact on the attendees, and was a great start to the day.

Susanne Panagaris from Office of the Industry Advocate South Australia, gave an overview of how Tenders and Projects are awarded in South Australia, and how local companies can take advantage of the weighting system used within the process. Her extensive experience and knowledge of government processes was enlightening, and hopefully, will give local companies more confidence in approaching the tender process. We were also educated by Simone Douglas from Digital Marketing AOK, explaining how our digital profiles have an impact on the success of individuals and companies. Martyn Luck from Gallagher spoke about

Cyber Security Safety and Insurance. Amanda Brumm and Frank Erdes from Assignar talked about how the company can help businesses run smoothly with advice on the allocation of workforce and vehicles, reporting, and other matters. By far the most gripping and emotional story was delivered by Evonne Penrose from the BMD Group who shared with us her long journey to the Civil Industry and her success in turning her life into a positive experience from adversity. Many thanks to our sponsors for the day, without whom events like this cannot occur; McMahon Services Australia Pty Ltd, Intract Australia, Gallagher, Assignar, and West Coast Bitumen. Thank you for your support.

Sincere thanks to our Committee Member Jemma Bishop for making the Adelaide contingent feel welcome, and introducing us to some of the wonderful food in Port Lincoln. There is always some confusion about the attendance of men at Women in Civil conducted events. I am confident that all the men who attended this event will tell you that they will be back next year and bringing their colleagues.

So, we look forward to returning to beautiful Port Lincoln and welcoming the local community (women and men) in 2024.